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Graveyard Crew
Graveyard It had been two days following the events of Wildweyst where the Busters faced off against what fragment of the Yeehaw Pirates had been present. Even though the crew claimed victory in a sense, there was a lot of self-doubt within Zack when he woke up thanks to Martha Jane who he never got the chance to formally meet. Henrietta guided the crew to an island quite a ways away from Wildweyst. The sat at the bay of the island on their ship for just a short while and waited for their captain to give them further instructions. Zack had been bathing in the sun, his jacket rested over his face to protect himself from sunburn, while he lay and thought about the events that unfolded. Images flashed in his mind like memories, but it was nothing he himself had been to fond of. "Boy!" Jane shouted up to the ship while she and the rest of the crew had already jumped off-board. "Yous best be coming down to see where we are. We'd sure like to know if this is a good place to rest for a while." Throwing himself up, Zack slowly stood to his feet before tossing his jacket back on and jumping from the deck of the ship to the ground. He looked at the scenery and noticed the abundance of trees and the fact that the island was more foresty than it was an actual island. There were a few structures that stood taller than the trees, but from the way they looked, they were abandoned. It was quite fortunate that the crew decided to stop by an island on the way here to replenish their food and other supplementary supplies. "Where are we?" Zack finally asked, his first time speaking to any of the crew since leaving Wildweyst. Jane hummed, before reaching inside of her leather coat. She pulled out a map and began to drag her finger along its canvas creating a red line as she did. She stopped once she reached the blank space, though as her finger sat there, a brown circle appeared. "Oh nos," Jane said, shaking her head. "Y'all, this might be bad, but potentially good if we do this right." Zack lifted his eyebrow, "Yeah, but where are we?!" "The island we are on, its called Guanhao. It's tha' trainin' camp where the World Government trains its intelligence agency--the Cipher Pol." The teen scoffed, "That ain't stopping me." Zack said, returning to the ship for a short moment. It took him a few minutes before he returned back to where the rest of the crew was. On his back was a special type of backpack, much larger than his normal one on the same size as like a camping one. "I'm staying out here for the night." Zack said, "Sherry, I need you to make me a sleeping back and cover." Another voice came through. "Wait a minute, Cipher Pol?" It was Dev- Bro Dude's. "One could say they fight like I do... only dozens of times better and more professional..." Holding a hand to cup his chin, Dude hummed. "We're even more wanted than before... they'll surely recognize us!" Was Zack about to enter another session of troublemaking? "Cipher Pol? I think I've heard about them from my master." Wayland said, carrying a large bundle on his shoulder as he glanced over at the crew. He tapped his chin in thought, attempting to remember the words of his master. "There are supposedly affiliated with the World Government like the Marines and supposed to be super strong. I wonder if they have any strong weapon wielders amongst them..." Wayland was unable to hide his battle-hungry grin as he thought about clashing blades against someone within the Cipher Pool. It had been a while since he had fought against another weapon user and he wanted to test his weapons. "Make that two, Sherry! I'm joining him." "I ain't staying here for trouble." Zack said, tightening his grip on the straps of his bag. "She said this is where the Government trains the Cipher Pol right? Some sorta' camp? Then I'm gonna do the same thing. My power right now ain't gonna cut it." Zack said turning his back to the group before waving his hand at them while walking away. "First day I'm resting properly and camping out. But after that, I'm going out to train on my own. Do what the rest of you want, but I can't stay like this." Zack stopped to think on all of the things that happened while he was but a cabin boy of the Black Widow Pirates and while he hadn't acquainted himself with everyone on the crew he knew that people like his direct mentors Draco D. Indiana and Jack Frost crossed his mind. "I'm not even close to scratching the people that are in the New World." "..." Sherry nodded to the requests of the other members and began to stitch the sleeping bags. All the while, she had left her sword besides her, as a reminder of what she needed to be doing. "Yes...I will train as well...for the sake of my master..." "NyI'm not sure what this Cyipher Pol is, but it sounds bad." Rosemary commented, "Should we be staying on this island?" "Uh..." Dude scratched the back of his head with his left hand, eyeing the present members of the crew one after the other. "I'm not really sure... Captain Zack is keen on using this as... how could I say, an opportunity?" Closing his eyes, he blinked several times and nodded, as if confirming solely for himself. "But, listen, instead of barging in-" Dude gestured for everyone to look at him, "-I've done many assassinations, sometimes I worked in with infiltration processes... Could we develop something to get in their ranks?" "Well, what do you suggest then? I agree with Zack about wanting to train." Wayland said, sitting on the nearby railing of the ship with a determined expression. Ever since he had gotten into the Grand Line, he had been faced with powerful opponents who reminded him that he needed to improve not just his weapons but himself as well. "I'm finding a place to set up camp, join if you want." Zack had given orders to his crew already, stay or don't, regardless he had already made up his mind and submerged within the woods of island. He had plenty of thoughts running through his mind, but like he told his crew, he had been focused on setting up camp for the night. Jane had waved the group off as well, "Sorry ladies," she said to the rest of the crew, following in Zack's footsteps. "If Captain sleeps out here, then ain't no reason why I should tally my arse onto the ship for an easy way out. I'm taggin' along with the kid. It's best I keep my eye on 'em anyway incase anything too crazy goes on." ---- After about an hour and a half journey through the woods, Zack had finally found a place he deemed worthy of setting up camp. He chose a location that had been hidden by the trees with a small pond on the side and what seemed to be a preexisting campfire ready for him to use. His journey was quiet he didn't even grunt out loud, nor did he say anything to Jane who took it upon herself to ask him as many questions as she could hoping he'd given her a response. Anyone who had chosen to follow him would also find that they were ignored, but for some reason, no one in his crew particularly blamed him for his "rudeness". "Alright," he said, tossing his bag from his back before walking over to the campfire. "How does this crap work?" He asked himself, scratching the back of his head in confusion. Steps came from a small distance, breaking a twig or two along the way. Bro Dude's form unveiled from the scenery. "Capt, you go out like that and you're not even prepared to take this experience?" A smile formed on his face, he quickly lowered himself over the remains of the bonfire. Taking a blade out, Dude pointed it at the wood. "I can make fire just fine, focus on organizing your items." ---- On the other hand, Sherry had decided to stay back and set up camp elsewhere. She was physically the weakest member of the crew. Not to mention, she had the least resolve out of anyone here. She felt that she had to challenge herself far more than the others in order to catch up to them. She constantly thought back to her powerlessness, not only in their former endeavors but during the point in which her master died. If she had a bit more strength...could she have changed something? Anything? Not to mention...there was someone here she needed to meet. Sherry couldn't allow anyone else to know of this. Not yet. She went about her way, taking out her large ball of fabric and began to stitch the necessary supplies to set up camp. From the very onset of coming onto this island, Sherry had to challenge herself to do things alone. If she couldn't help herself, what use would she be to the allies who helped her? ---- Rosemary wasn't sure what to do here. On one hand, this was the first real free time she had had since leaving home, on the other this island sounded like a relatively nasty place. But either way, she knew that her current level of skill probably wasn't enough. In particular, her body definitely wasn't strong enough to handle what they were likely to run into. She needed to go for a run. Rosemary gathered her goop in her hands once more, and as her companions were leaving, she started making a trail of it. She slowly poured it, creating a fence around an area six feet high made of her goop. It went over a river and through some woods, so there was a safe shelter on the island. She put James in this corral, knowing she could not take this horse with her. "I'll see you in a while, James, don't worry, I'll be around to visit. I just need to run for a while." She assured the horse as she patted him, before closing off the corral. There should be more than enough space here for James to graze, and there was water and shelter in it. It would be better for him than leaving him on the boat. Rosemary looked almost sad as she began to run off, heading deeper and deeper into the island, bouncing through the trees as she began to parkour across the island. ---- Zack nodded his head at Bro Dude. Then he turned to his back bag, squatting before removing contents from it. Packed meat and sealed beverages of various varieties. Though he had been quite pissed with the rest of his crew, he made sure be brought supplies for not just himself but the rest of the Busters. Lifting his head, he noticed the absence of Sherry but shrugged it off because he wasn't the type to intrude on other's business. He expressed his goals for being on the island and though no one expressed theirs, he sort of had a mental understanding of what a few members of his crew would do. The only ones that left him in the dark were the two newest members; Jane and Wayland. "Everything's here, Devin." Zack began, sitting down to his rear and crossing his legs, tucking his hands underneath his thighs. "Wayland... Jane..." he said, not giving either a moment to respond. "Why're you two even following me?" He dropped his head, "I don't even understand why..." Wayland blinked at Zack's question, being slightly surprised. He had expected the young captain to ask him about his reason for joining the Buster Pirates since they had left the Wildweyst, though he figured this conversation would be held in private. Nonetheless, he would give Zack his answer. "Honestly? I have no idea why." Wayland said, placing his hands behind his head as he stared up at the sky in thought. "I mean I could have easily left after we got off out of the Wildweyst but for some reason, I didn't want to and I can't express why that is." "Hm," Jane said, resting her hand on her hip while holding a map in the other. "That's selfish of you boy." She went on, spitting to the ground at her side. "A woman needed somewhere to go, Devin offered me a place to stay. I was already a criminal." Tapping on the map with her free finger, she placed her gaze onto it, removing it from Zack. "If y'all think I was passin' that up. You damn sure be wrong." She lifted her eyebrow, "Besides, y'all are a odd and motley bunch. Half-mink, Samurai chick, loud engineer, really old bald dude, and there you: captain of the motley! I know an interestin' journey when I see one, boy. And this is one of 'em." Standing to his feet, Zack walked away from the group with his head down into the crevasses of the forest. "Motley they aren't, but I damn sure am." He said, kicking the dirt to the side as he faded away from the rest of the crew. "I'll be back." With a sigh, Jane put away her map as Zack disappeared from the group. "Yeah, I'll get the boy back and apologize. But, if he didn't hear it from one of us. He was just gonna' keep beatin' himself up over it. Suicide ain't the way to go." The Outlaw suggested, despite neither Devin or Wayland saying anything to her. She pointed towards the campfire, "When we come back food should be prepared, ya hear?" --- Though it seemed like Jane was not too far behind Zack, the boy had actually sprinted to cover more space between himself and Jane. She could hear grunts in the distance up ahead and trees falling over colliding with the ground as topple over. Once she entered the shrieking and destroyed area, she saw Zack dashing around from tree to tree punching each one leaving but little dents in them. Batting her eyes, she released a deep breath that had been coated by a long and well-needed sigh for what was about to unfold. "Calm down boy, I ain't mean it to attack you personally. But I saw that look in your eyes." She said, trying to reason. Still, Zack continued to dash around the open area from tree to tree before finally knocking another over, but he continued on with his attacks. "Captain, can you just calm down. No one likes a man who runs off emotion." Still, Zack continued with his attacks, ignoring Jane as though she wasn't there. Sighing again, Jane closed her eyes and slid her hand along her side reached for the pistol latched onto her hip. Drawing and spinning the pistol with her index finger through the gun's trigger wield, she stopped it so the grip landed into the palm of her hand. Aiming it at Zack and lifting it up a few feet over his head. Three shots in rapid succession, but each at a different angle. One perfectly north. The other north-east. The last, north-west. The bullets rushed through the sky and once they were directly over Zack, Jane snapped and uttered. "Scatter," before they all burst. Two turned into a blue liquid while the other turned into a brown liquid. In a flash, the two blue liquids took up the properties of water while the other took the property of dirt. As they felt over Zack, they buried him and merged into mud that held him into place. "What the hell is this?!" Zack asked, struggling around but as he did, he felt his stamina slowly draining away. "Are you really that motley, Captain." Jane asked, opening her eyes and re-placing her pistol into her hoister. "It's my devil fruit. There ain't no record on my devil fruit, not even Chuck knew about it. But you're a guy, despite being brain dead, that I can trust a little. And if I can't, then I'll just cap you. It's the Pai Pai no Mi, lets me paint stuff and bring it to life. Even if what I'm painting ain't got life. Good fruit for y'alls use right?" Zack scoffed, "Just let me go.. I need to train I need to get stronger." "Ahhh, that's what this rage is all about? Boy, y'all got a long way to go." Jane laughed, rubbing her shoulder. "What's done brought about this rage though?" "What do you mean? While I was on that island, I saw people.. innocent people have their lives used in ways they had no control over. There was nothing I could do about it." Zack said, sulking. "Now take that and reflect it onto my own crew. I'm the captain, but what if I can't help them, huh? What if the situations calls for it, but I can't do a damn thing?! That guy, your old captain, one shot me... literally." Jane smiled, "That just comes with it, boy!" She reached to her jacket and pulled out a cigar, sparking a fire with just the snap of her fingers and lighting the cigar on fire. "Yous weak, boy. But that comes with being a pirate. People, on the other side, are gonna be way stronger. Don't worry about bitin' off more'n you can chew; your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger'n you think." She placed the cigar into her mouth and held it with her teeth. "That move you were usin' just now. Whats it called? It increases your speed. I see that easy, but its still slow 'cause I can keep up with you using natural sight. But I might be a bit gifted." "I never gave it a name. Its an extension of my devil fruit ability made into a technique. By decreasing the density in my bones, I can increase my movement speed. Right now I can't go past fifteen percent." "Oh?" She asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Ain't think you'd be able to deduce an ability enough to know that you can lower your density. But it makes sense, it's why yous can't put a dent in the tree. Its why the bullet from Chuck inflicted so much damage. Have you tried manipulatin' the density in certain area? Like mostly your body, but maybe leaving feet and hands at normal levels? I dunno' let's call it, Marrow Shift." Zack shook his head, "Okay." Captain Session CLICK CLICK, The sound of wood hitting the pavement in a shallow hallway could be heard. It had been 17 hours since Jane began her training with Zack and the two had been at it with no rest. Their training ended up with them venturing off and as such, they hadn't noticed how far away from the rest of the crew that had gotten. Though the crew may have been out of reach, it seemed some of the people who inhabited the island were nearby. An elderly man approached the area that had become their training ground. He had white long hair that rested down his back. To keep his trembling self up, he utilized a brown cane as support. His glasses barely sat on his face and with his thin eyes, he looked to the duo: a western-dressed woman and a sweating young man. "W-what're you two d-doing out here?" The old man asked, shivering as though the sight of the two scared him. Jane held her hand out in front of Zack, "You let me talk to him, Captain. Yous gonna say something that's gonna screw shit up for the both of us." She whispered, walking up closer to the man. "I'm sorry, sir. Tha' names Martha Jane! We don't mean to intrude on this here land, but we's just wanted to get some quick lil ole trainin' done." "Hmm?" The old man asked, squinting his already thin eyes. "Trainin'? Oh! Oh! Oh!" He exclaimed, meeting Jane's introduction with a smile of his own. "Then you two are my trainees this year!" His smile grew wider, "Then fun! T-Then, we shall get started with your training right away." "Waaait, I don't thi-" Zack was cut off by Jane stepping up. "Yes sir, that be us! 'Ere for our rangdangin' trainin'!" "Well then! Hold on," He said, hunching his back further and stroking his white beard. "Aren't ye two a bit too old to be receiving Cipher Pol training? W-Weee train kids from their youngin', makes it easier to instill things without much a fight. Are you two suuuuurrrreeeee you're supposed to be here for some trainin'." Jane laughed, "Age is not preferred, if one be capable of learnin' without needed to be whipped into it, then its more than suitable for Cipher Pol. Youngins' are preferred cause they'll listen to that there ole fear. We won't give you any problems, you can rest assured on that." "I-I-If youuuu saaaay so, young lady." The old man said, "Soooorrrryyy, to be so ruuuuudddeee earlier." He continued on, his words continuously dragging. Zack shifted his eyes to their corners to get a look at Jane, to which he then lifted his eyebrows. He then thought, "Man, what's up with this old guy? Why does he drag all of his words out like that? This is gonna be so annoying..." "I'm soooorrrryyy, I forgot to introduce myseeeeelf. Myyyy name is.... Jiraiya!" Jiraiya struck his beard again, "Back in my haaaay daaaay, they used to call me Jiraiya The Drunk. Buuuut, that's a tale for when the time comes boy. I like to evaluate the abilitiiiieeessss of what my students can do prior to training. It heeeeeeelps me grasp what it is they neeeeeeeed to streeeeengthen and develop." "I'm sorry, I'm ain't really here for the trainin' Jiraiya. I'm only here to make sure the boy receives the proper trainin' is all. I'm just a navigator. I'll sit back and watch over you two, heal any wounds." Jiraiya nodded, while Zack gave him the stink eye. "What's an old man like you gonna tell me about my trainin'? Old Man Indie is younger than you, you're pushing at LEAST 80." "Oh?" Jiraiya began, shaking on his cane as though he were about to fall over at any moment. "80? Haaahaaahaaa, you maaaake me feel young boy. You'll need to add at leaaaaast another decade to that." Quietly, "It isn't the firrrsssst time someone judged me by my aaaggggeee, and won't be the last. I guess, I'll just have to shoooow you during my evaluatiooooon." Smiling, Zack clenched his fist. "Alright old man! Just don't blame me if you break a bone. Or suffocate or something old people do." Jane walked away from the ground and stationed herself up against a tree, searching her person for a cigar so that she could enjoy the upcoming chain of events. While Zack had been arrogant, she knew he had been biting off more than he could chew. "Goooooooood!" The elder man reached behind his back and revealed a glass bottle. It had a simple label that bore the kanji of "sake". Removing the cap with his teeth, Jiraiya began to chug down its contents. Almost instantly, he began to sway left and right, releasing hiccups as he did. "Hiiii-uh, let's see what you..." Jiraiya let go of his cane, leaning back to the point her nearly collapsed with the ground. "Caaaaaan doooooo against my Drunken Kenpo." Turning to Jane, Zack made a face filled with confusion. Instead of sympathizing with him, Jane shrugged her shoulders. This was a Zack problem, not a Jane problem. Though she had no idea who Jiraiya was, she had already deduced that the "winner" of this exchange would be Jiraiya and that was because of one thing and one thing only, Zack was naive. "You two really want me to do this?" He said, watching as Jiraiya continued to rock back and forth, releasing hiccups almost at every moment. "Alright, fine!" Crossing his arm over his face, Zack clenched his fist. "Marrow Shift!" He exclaimed, dashing across the ground while kicking up dirt as he rushed towards Jiraiya. "I'll finish this all in one blow." His fist was up and he was ready to strike Jiraiya down where he stood. Zack had been moving in a linear path towards Jiraiya, that was one of the existing weaknesses of Marrow Shift's movement that Zack could not get over. Even then, Jiraiya had been drunk to the point he had no knowledge of what was truly going on. "Why are you comin' at me so fast!?" Jiraiya asked, reacting with superhuman reflexes leaning to the side and lowering his body so that he twirled around his cane like a gogo dancer. By doing this, he was able to dodge Zack's attack with minimal effort. Twirling until he stood back up to his feet, Jiraiya threw the bottle he held in his hand and pointed his finger at Zack. "That's rude~! You can't attack someone who's drunk! I'm warning you paaaaaal! Don't do it--again!" Stopping himself in his tracks, a small crack could be heard as Zack turned himself back around to face Jiraiya. His golden eyes followed the Cipher Pol's swaying movements hoping he could potentially track just what his true method of fighting was. The captain found no openings and instead was left just as confused as he was before. "What the hell is wrong with you old man?!" Zack asked, throwing his hand to his side while clenching the other one. Though, instead of giving him a chance to respond, Zack dashed back at him again with his fist pulled back. Bones broke through his skin and formed around his fist and most of his forearm into a spinning drill. "Hi-caaaa," The elderly man hiccuped, swaying all the way to his left before ultimately crashing to the ground and unintentionally dodging Zack's strike. Placing his hand on the ground, he spun on it mimicking a top. Extending his legs, Jiraiya kicked the top of Zack's head knocking him to the ground in just a few strikes before pushing against the ground and landing back to his feet. At the fallen Zack, Jairaya danced to the left and then to the right, his cheeks bright red from the sensation he'd been feeling. His eyes widened as he snapped back to reality and his drunken buzz had completely left his body. Looking to Zack, he simply rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry kiddo, but it's just you're going to have to understand something. If you wish to assassinate and come out on top, you'll need to be prepared for those that can achieve the unthinkable. You will need to be prepared on all four cylinders." Bending over, he reached for his cane to help support his stance. "You have limitless potential, I can see it deep within you. It's been a while since I've gotten someone who already knows what to do if even a little." Jane remained stationed against the tree as she continued to chart her map. Zack, on the other hand, fixed himself so that he could sit with his legs cross and hands into his lap. He listened to Jiraiya because even though he didn't want to admit it, the man possessed great skill. "So, what do I have to do. Like, to get stronger. I want to be reliable to my c-. People." "Hahahaha," Jiraiya laughed, squinting his eyes. "Well, you do what anyone else does when they want to get stronger." His expression quickly turned back to that of an elderly helpless man. "Y-You train." He said, shifting back to his composed self. "I'll get not only your body in the right shape but your mind as well. I'll explain the Six Powers and teach them to you with the best of my ability and point you into the direction of Haki as well." --- Months had passed since Jiraiya and Zack first met and sufficient to say, his training was going wonderfully. Jiraiya, just as he had promised, had taught Zack a myriad of things which increase his combative prowess beyond levels he knew he could have never achieved on his own. That's because Jiraiya possessed something that Jane tried to get Zack to understand that he lacked—experience. They woke up at 5:00 AM every morning to begin their training. A series of stretches and a two-mile run to increase basic physical stats like strength and cardio. This was followed by a two-hour nap which then led to instructional classes of techniques being broken down that lasted five hours. One technique lasted two weeks, this was so Jiraiya could drill their concepts, functionalities, and purposes into Zack's thick skull. After that was lunch which then led to "in-field" training that had their time dependant solely on the objective for the day. The more they trained together, the more the duo got to know each other and that tutor relationship quickly became a student-master one Together they hunt, ate, and slept. It was only natural that bond would continue to grow. At times, they even got Jane in on their training. She couldn't afford to lollygag either, especially because her devil fruit literally allowed her to assist in creating situational environments. Sometimes, at night, Zack couldn't sleep. He simply stayed up and looked at the stars thinking about the fate of his crew. Were they still on the island with him or had they gone their own ways to train. Hell, were they even still members of the "Buster Pirates". These were things he was only allowed to think about at night because while his bond with Jiraiya grew more and more, he was a man employed by the World Government to train their assassins... he was an enemy in simpler terms. If only he could change the world to bend it around a positive perception he would. Jiraiya was so nice, one wouldn't have thought the man had claimed seventy-two confirmed clean murders in his lifetime. But, the thought of "who" ran through Zack's mind plenty of time and he couldn't accept the fact that these people were truly evil as the World Government painted them to be. Combative prowess wasn't the only thing Zack gained from spending time with Jiraiya. He learned more about the world and luckily Jiraiya was a pretty honest man in telling Zack, "Shit isn't pretty". Their training continued on for a few more months until finally, they reached a full year in their training. Zack had learned twice as much as he did in the previous months and even more than that during his own times on the sea. His skill in physical combat had increased tremendously and combined with his learnings from the Six Powers, Haki, and his devil fruit, he had achieved an entirely new skill set on top of what he had already acquired. He'd virtually mastered his Marrow Shift thanks to Jiraiya's training and had even developed a myriad of techniques for the from. Like any student, when everyone had been asleep, Zack remained active working on his skills to develop himself further and increase his power. --- Finally, in the current timeline, January 1st of 1579, Zack's appearance had changed ever so slightly. His once childish features that were so obvious before had matured. His hair, aside from its length increasing, had remained the same but he had grown an entire five inches, standing at exactly six feet now. His clothing had changed slightly, if at all, simply replacing the black hoodie he wore with a black, gray, and red collared zip-up jacket. He still wore the pendant given to him by his mother, but there was no replacing that. His sudden maturing probably had something to do with a birthday passing during his training. It had been a year since their training began after all. it was only right he'd at least change physically if not mentally. He walked across their plot of land, a hoe flung over his shoulder as he'd just finished plowing the garden. Jane sat within the garden's dirt, her clothing akin to that of a gardener with a different hat over her head to block out the sun's intense rays. Waving her hand, she called her Captain over. "Hey Zack," she greeted, despite the two being in the presence of each other for literal hours. "Can yous come to pull this batch of carrots? I think my muscles locked on me, it's almost impossible!" Though her clothing changed, her heavy western accent did not. Changing his path to Jane, Zack rolled his eyes to the back of his head. "Yeah right," he mumbled, approaching her with haste and dropping down to a knee. "You just want me to take the load off." He said, pulling the plants right from their roots. "Oho, Zack! Come along, kiddo!" Jiraiya shouted from the other side of the garden. His innocent face shivering as he struggled to even hold himself up despite the support of the cane. While it was possible Jane couldn't pull the carrots from the ground, Jiraiya only called him over to piss Zack off even more. "Come come," he said, guiding Zack closer to him and sitting down to the ground. "Usually, I'd like to irritate you because, for some reason, it satisfies my entertainment. But, I thought, it'd be a good time to mention that it's been a year since we've begun our training together." Zack slammed his own into the ground and dropped down to his butt to take a seat next to Jiraiya. "Seriously? It's been a year? Already? Feels like only a few months I couldn't lay a hand on you." Zack said, looking up to the drifting clouds in the sky. "Now, I can kiss your ass from the East Blue to Paradise and back again." "Ohoho, hahahahah! I see that still hasn't changed, not one bit." Jiraiya smiled, looking to Zack who had paid no attention to his. "What's the condition with your heart called? You always tell me not to worry about it, but its been a year. I feel like I deserve to know at this point. I'm basically like your father, so you've gotta' tell me." Asked Jiraiya, truly he was curious. Looking to his left and right, Zack scoffed. "Like hell, I'd consider your old ass my dad." Placing his hands onto the ground, Zack took up a position known as the "kickstand" where he leaned back and used his arms as support. "It's called a , it's when the blood is pumping across my valve and makes a loud sound that you can hear. Hell, I don't even need a stethoscope to heart it. The more active I get, I can feel my heart bursting against my chest. Literally. It's like increased headaches, shortness of breath, etc. All stuff like that." He explained, looking back up to the skies. "Okay, fine then, honesty time." Zack said, "Feel free to ask whatever else you want. But, use this question wisely. Cause ya' only get one more." "What? Hahaha, am I being put on a time limit? Oh, how the tables have turned!" Jiraiya exclaimed, reaching to his back underneath his shirt fiddling around with what sounded like some paper. Revealing them, Jiraiya placed them into Zack's lap before joining and turning his own gaze to the cloudy sky above. Zack looked down and before he could even lift the paper to figure out what it was, he had already known just from the color and the big clear image sitting there. He sat in silence for a moment and shook to the point his heart began to race. Sweat quickly protruded his skin and he couldn't think of anything to say. What was just placed in his lap, was the bounty post with his image on it and his bounty still sitting at a solid 157,000,000. "Not Valden Zack, but Buster D. Zack, captain of the Buster Pirates and son of one of the most troublesome pirates known to the World Government, Buster D. Amaka." Jiraiya didn't have to look for the expression on Zack's face, he already knew the teen had his mouth wide open stunned by the information the man had found out. "How?" Zack asked himself, stunned at the paper and simply lost for words. He didn't know what to say, but no matter what he said, he knew it would never be the right response. And Amaka, a pirate? Zack had absolutely no recollection of this and that caught him by surprise just as much as Jiraiya finding him out did. "Close your mouth, kiddo. Hahahaha!" He laughed, "That's why I asked you about the condition. I didn't need you dying on me. You can calm down, I didn't tell anyone." "How'd you know?" "How? I knew from the first day I met you. That cheesy line about how you were supposed to be here for training? Complete horseshit, I baited you in. We know all the people we are supposed to train and you were not one of them, because I never had anyone to train to begin with. Here, let me tell you something about me since you were honest." The Cipher Pol agent sighed, "The reason I'm here, on this cane, has something to do with a former Pirate I chased around. He was strong, I mean, really strong. He could copy your devil fruit with his own and make you look like an absolute amateur. His name, Gawd Sigma, but I'll leave that part of history for you to learn on your own. Let's just say our last fight turn in his favor and I was left with a condition that prevents me from doing work any further. For that, even my ability to train newcoming agents was cut. I decided to just stay here and let the world unfold around me." "You, I watched you train on that tree and that fire in your eye, I just couldn't pass it up. Regardless of our different allegiances, I'll always look at you as my student. Don't you ever forget that." Still, Zack sat in silence as would anyone. After all, this was a lot to take in so suddenly. But aside from everything Jiraiya had said, only one thing had stood out to him among the rest. "Buster D. Amaka, you said she was a pirate. There's no way that could be correct, right? I mean, she drilled it in my that Pirates were bad people. That I needed to join the Marines and become an Admiral. What do you mean?" Lifting his own eyebrow, Jiraiya sighed at the shared information. "I see, she didn't tell you then? I think it's best I leave that part of history up for you to find out at well, Zack. But keep a straight head, do not diverge off the path of your goals. You may be a pirate, but your heart is in the right place. Use this unknown information as fuel to figure out the truth. It's so much more waiting for you on the other half of the Grand Line, you just have to go and get it." "Yeah." Zack responded. "So, I've gathered information on the rest of your crew. I have their locations and I know after this year of training was over you planned to leave. I felt the best gift would be to at least do that for you so that you all could get reunited." An Assassin Dude's... afro bounced around as he walked, popping up and down with each step he took. His face was characterized with a painted mixture of white and red, shaping into some sort of mask, akin to something such as a clown. The woman walking alongside him often found herself staring back at Dude while wearing a frown of her own. "Can't believe your kind of profession exists..." She mused, eyeing him up and down. "Excuse me," Dude gestured with his arm at the woman, then, at himself. "Human targets are common courtesy nowadays!" Of course, for one to be a target, they would need to possess quite the physical abilities in order to come out alive. "What can we call you?" "Address me as..." Dude blinked a few times, sporting a large smile. "Some Dude!" "Huh..." The woman scratched the side of her head. "Okay, Some Dude." Mere minutes after, Dude found himself in front of a large group of martial artists, some younger than the others, they all had very different sets of clothing. What they all shared were their movements and yelling, which matched up without intervals in-between. "HAH HAH HAH!" Each person punched forward, alternating between fists, with each word. Even when Dude stood in front of them, no one had faltered and simply carried on with their exercises. "They didn't even chuckle or look at me..." Dude noted inside his mind, "This is it... the discipline." These guys looked to be steps beyond disciplined, they moved as one, but, they weren't the same. What kind of sensation was even this? A bit of sweat ran down the side of his face, though, the paint was resistant enough not to become messy due to it. "Can I really do this?" This was way different, Dude himself had been self taught in regards to assassination tactics and skills, one could say he developed his stuff as his missions went by. The situation of the younglings before him was clear. But, at the same time, that was exactly why Dude had to do this. Often, on the strangest paths one could take, one would find the truth to their questions and doubts. "Students!" The woman from before began, arms behind her back. Everyone nodded. "This man here is a government employee." Another nod. "And he has made himself available in order to serve as you all's moving target." A beat, then, another nod, Dude nodded as well and bowed at everyone. "You can call him Some Dude." Gazes fixed, the students bowed in response. "HAI!" Simultaneously and in unison, they all entered the same fighting position, their images flickered and Dude, sweating, turned around with a single step, prompting the sweat to be washed away from his face. "THEY TOOK IT TOO WELL!" Instantly, a bright flash came from behind Dude, who just held his arms tight and continued to run. At that moment, myriads of attacks passed by his sides, merely grazing his clothes and skin. "NGH!" Closing his eyes, Dude entered a full sprint, rocking his arms and legs back and forth, so much that their images distorted to any observer. An attack came towards his legs, something akin to an air blade, Dude bent his knees in an attempt to jump, landing on the trunk of a tree and instantly using it as a propelling device. The tree he was on was then obliterated by slashing and piercing attacks. "HOOO," Dude proceeded to jump on another tree, then on the next and on the next, all of which were destroyed a second after he left them. However, this quickness made the explosions's shockwaves reach his body, making Dude roll over the grass several meters. With a double slap on the ground, he stood up. Daring, Dude looked behind him for but a moment, only for his eyes to widen as none of the students were in sight, another kick to the soil and he was back on his sprint. Meanwhile, memories ressonated within his head, the afro on his head wilding every so often. ---- "If I think about it, they could end up killing me..." Dude uttered at his Captain. "But, for that very reason, this training could be perfect... by being pressured to my uttermost limit." Gaze dropping, he nevertheless spoke on. "If I don't return by the time we planned... leave without me." ---- Dude ducked, avoiding some sort of projectile, then, attacks came from a low angle, he pushed both his limbs against the ground and jumped. A bit of blood exited the small bruises caused by the previous attacks, Dude gritted his teeth and crossed his arms in front of himself, receiving an almost direct attack. "GAH!" Dude was pushed through a tree, destroying it, "I..." He muttered amidst the struggle, blood bursting from his mouth. "Can't give up!!" Dude opened his arms wide, dispersing the attack and creating a small gust of wind. ... Forged in Fire The rustling of trees could be heard as Wayland walked deep within the forest, carrying a large duffel bag on his back. Following the disappearance of Jane and Zack, Wayland and Bro Dude went their separate ways as he desired to train on his own and Dude seemed to share that sentiment as well. He searched through the training camp for a smithy and was unsuccessfully in his quest, only locating the weapons cache on the base. However, in the midst of his search, he had met several trainees who had mistaken him for a fellow student and informed him about a trio of artisans who lived within the forest, with one of them being a metalsmith. Thus, he had left the training camp and ventured out in search of the group. Glancing around with his sharp red eyes, Wayland crouched before utilizing to launch himself into the air as he peered over the trees and looked for a sign of where they could be located. His eyes widen at the sight of a large clearing off in the distance, spotting a cabin within the opening as well. Preforming , he propelled himself at incredible speed towards the area. As he neared, Wayland noted a duo of individuals out on the field before he landed with a loud thud. "Excuse me for dropping in," Wayland said as he dusted off and walked over towards the group. "I was wondering if I could use your smithy for..." However before Wayland could continue, he was interrupted as a woman suddenly appeared in front of him, being faster than he could see as he unconsciously lept back in surprise. "Well, it looks like we got 'nother recruit who made tha' journey to seek us out." She said, lifting up Wayland's shirt and ignored his protests. Her eyes glanced around Wayland's physique before shaking her head and slamming her palm into the young blacksmith's stomach, resulting in him dropping the duffel back and falling to his knees. "'Tis sad. Despite ya ability to use the Rokushiki, ya body is quite lacking. Ya shoul' fix your temple or else ya'll break it through your own efforts, boyo!" Still on his knees, Wayland dry heaved as the words of the mysterious woman echoed through his mind. Had he truly been neglecting his body? It seemed so absurd but before he could think on the subject longer, he found himself staring into the silver eyes of an old man, kneeling before him. He blinked in surprise but didn't move as the man continued to stare directly into his crimson eyes. After what felt like an eternity, the old man stood up and turned away. "His spirit is strong but unrefined and his mind is blanketed underneath a deep fog." With a deep sigh, the old man walked over to his female companion who was currently doing squats. "It is saddening to see such potential go to waste." Wayland let a growl out of frustration and forced himself to stand up before shouting at the duo before him. "Who the hell do you think you are?! I just wanted to ask if I could use the damn forge here!" As soon as Wayland finished shouting, his attention shifted to the door of the wooden cabin as it open with a loud bang before a man walked out, grasping a red-hot blade within his hand. Walking past the woman and old man, he stopped before Wayland and stared him down with a curious look. "I must admit, this is most interesting. Most trainees come out here with the intention of asking me to forge a weapon suitable for them, not to create one themselves." He said, stroking his chin in thought. Before Wayland can open his mouth to respond, the man continued as he grabbed the duffel bag filled with the young blacksmith's weapons. "Nonetheless, I've heard what my comrades have said and I agree with them. Not only is your body weak and your spirit unfocused, but I can already see you've barely scratched the surface on how to wield a weapon." "So, let me just take my weapons and leave then!" Wayland screamed in frustration, watching as the man before him pulled out Highlander and examined it with a keen eye. "I'll find somewhere else to improve my craft!" Letting out a chuckle, the man shook his head and placed Highlander back within the duffel bag as he walked back to the cabin. "I can tell you right now, you would only be wasting your time and effort. Until you've improved your body and mind, you will be unable to explore the true capabilities of the weapons you forge and improve on them. At the current moment, you are unworthy to wield that which you create." "'''Soru'!"'' In an explosive burst of speed, Wayland rocketed himself off of the ground towards the mysterious man who held his weapons within his grasp. However, before he could truly close the distance, his movement was halted as he felt someone holding onto his leg. Glancing behind him, he saw the old man giving him an easy smile before pointing to his side. Confused, Wayland turned his head only to be met with a boot smashing directly into his face as he was sent skidding back once more. Groaning in pain as he came to a halt, he heard the voice of the mysterious man once more. "If you work towards getting these weapons back, then your first goal is to overcome the two before you. I don't care how long it takes you or whatever is important to ya, you've gotta earn these back in my eyes." With his piece said, he walked back into the cabin and closed the door. "Well, ya heard the boss man, boyo! Until you can overcome us, you won't take a step in reclaiming those weapons of yours!" The woman laughed aloud, giving a savage grin towards Wayland who was now standing up once more. "By the way, you can call me Credne, the Musclesmith! I can mold the body into a powerful asset!" "Credne, calm yourself." The old man sighed as Credne simply laughed at his request, a bit of drool trailing from her lips. Wayland couldn't help but shiver at the strangeness of this woman. "I am Luchta, the Ascending Spirit. My mind has been enlightened and my spirit is awakened." "Now then, let us begin!" The duo said as they rushed forward towards Wayland. Shifting his stance, Wayland readied himself for the coming battle. He didn't know how long it would take him but he would overcome this challenge! No matter what. ---- .... Sewn in Blood It was the crack of dawn and Sherry had already woken up and prepared for the day. Her first day of training, alone after such a long time. There was an instinct born within Sherry to simply run away. She was used to that course of action after years of running away from everything. Even in the Buster Pirates...that was all she had been doing. She had to stop herself there, though. "There was only one reason I joined the Buster Pirates..." Sherry drew her blade of threads and took a deep breath. "To find the one..." She swung it forward with all of her might, which unfortunately did not amount to much at all. "Who took my Master!" "Should I be surprised to see you here?" A distant, calm, and deep voice spoke to Sherry. Her instant reaction was to raise her eyebrows and take a half-step back in caution. The voice wasn't dangerous...but she knew the man behind the voice was. "No, I guess I shouldn't. "Deathmaker" Holland Sherry." The voice's owner came out of the shadows, looking towards Sherry with a piercing gaze. His features and build were similar to Sherry's, albeit masculine in nature. "Holland Drago...so you were accepted into the CP9 after all?" Category:Role-Plays Category:EmperorSigma Category:Ash9876 Category:Dal101 Category:Arukana Category:DamonDraco Category:Buster Pirates RP